“[A wife of noble character] speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue.”
— Proverbs 31:26
In the desert of Maon, west of the Dead Sea, there lived a woman named Abigail. Her husband, Nabal, was one of the richest ranchers in the area, but he was very foolish.
One day, David and a big group of his soldiers camped out on Nabal’s property. They were hungry and went to Nabal to ask for some food. But Nabal spat in the face of David’s messenger. “Who is this David? Why should I share with him?” he said, and he refused to give them anything to eat.
Nabal’s response made David very angry, because David and his men had risked their lives to defend Nabal’s flocks from harm. He was ready to kill Nabal and all the men of this household for the insults.
When Abigail got word of her husband’s foolishness, she wasted no time. Abigail ordered tons of presents for David to be loaded onto donkeys. Then Abigail climbed onto her own donkey and headed toward David and his men. She begged David to change his mind and spare her husband. David, impressed by Abigail’s gifts and concern, agreed.
Abigail took control of a dangerous situation and acted according to her faith in God. It took courage to go out to meet David, humility to plead with him, and wisdom to say what she said to the future king of Israel. Her wisdom kept David from sinning. God used Abigail to save many lives.
When you’re in the middle of difficult circumstances — a friend betrays you or a parent is too busy for you or your teacher doesn’t understand you — you’re the one who chooses your reaction and response. Like Abigail, you can place your trust in God and choose to develop a godly character — one of humility, generosity, understanding, wisdom, and calm judgment.
More to Explore: Proverbs 9:10
Girl Talk: Have you ever been stuck in a bad situation that wasn’t your fault? Did you act wisely to fix the problem or did you complain and pout?
God Talk: “Dear Jesus, thank you for being my peacekeeper. Help me to recognize danger and act wisely according to your will. Amen.”
From Real Girls of the Bible by Mona Hodgson